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I posted about three months ago that my numbers were changing and that after seven years I was being recommended to start meds. (The thread is here: forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=47975.msg582743#msg582743)

So, I qualified for a new trial and I am starting Elvitegravir / Cobicistat / Emtricitabine / Tenofovir (or its updated version) tomorrow.

Funny, it feels like I'm being propelled, far and wide and away, to this place so new I can't even imagine it, for good or ill. Not much trepidation but a sense of a newness that is, oddly, exciting and a bit high-voltage. And wherever I do go, I know for certain I will not be coming back here, ever. The bravest of new worlds. Onward.

It is amazing how fast it becomes just an everyday thing. You will not longer have the stress of wondering when it will happen. I am on Complera and well it is just an everyday thing with dinner now. Its my mid meal snack.

Texanniny, the trial is a slight variation of the combo you are on. The Tenofovir, I believe, is being tweaked to see if the new version is easier on the kidneys. That's all there is to that.

Day 3 and I'm just fine. I thought that on the first day I'd get woozy or something. But I have felt absolutely fine. *Today* I feel a little tired in a relaxed sort of way, but that might be because I was up late from work on Sat night and slept fitfully (as I always do when I work late).

Am I right to assume that if there are side-effects they should begin to show up sometime around Week 2?

the only ones i experienced (slight nausea and a little buzzed feeling) were very mild and only came up during the first week. i wouldnt expect too much if you havent had any issues already, but everyone is different. my doc had been careful to monitor my kidneys but i didnt have any issues.

In the trial, for the first two months, my blood was tested every two weeks. The meds took me to undetectable in the first two weeks. Bang. CD4s back above 500. Percentages excellent. Zero side effects.

I almost feel guilty for not having physical reactions. In fact, my whole course of hiv has been like this. I didn't have any adverse reactions when I sero-converted (so far as I can vaguely recall, of that time period) and the past seven years not on meds have been quite fine. The negative side of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I suppose it likely won't.

Funny, it feels like I'm being propelled, far and wide and away, to this place so new I can't even imagine it, for good or ill. Not much trepidation but a sense of a newness that is, oddly, exciting and a bit high-voltage. And wherever I do go, I know for certain I will not be coming back here, ever. The bravest of new worlds. Onward.

You'll be fine!

I'm a little bit surprised that after 7 years living with HIV, starting haart seems so new and unimaginable a place.

Anyway, that was a good run without meds and now you'll have the advantages

Logged

“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

I didn't have any adverse reactions when I sero-converted (so far as I can vaguely recall, of that time period)

even though it was a while ago, I've thought about this and know that I didn't have any seroconversion problems at all either (sometime in early 85) That's another one of those things like side effects - a large part of people who turn HIV poz don't have sero-conversion issues either